Crimper and tucker for whip-buttons.



No. 861,653. 7 PATENTBD JULY 30, .1907.

D. G. HULL. GRIMPER AND TUCKER FOR WHIP BUTTONS.

APPLIGATION IILED MAR. 21, 1907.

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D.G.HULL. v

GRIMPER AND TUCKER FOR WHIP BUTTONS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1907.

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PATENTED JULY '30, 1907.

1). 0. HULL. GRIMPER AND TUCKER FOR WHIP BUTTONS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, I907.

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' same, certain of the DAVID C. HULL, OF WESTFIELD, l\ COMPANY, OF WESTFIELD,

IASSAOHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STAT MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE CRIMPER AND TUCKER FOR WHIP-BUTTONS.

To all whom it may concern:

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 21, 1907.

Serial N0. 363,692.

Be it known that I, DAVID C. HULL, a citizen of the United States of America, res

siding at Westfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Whip-Buttons, of which the tion.

Orimper and Tucker for following is a specifica- My invention relates to improvements in mechanism designed to turn in and,

double upon themselves the ends of whip buttons which are made of fabric or other material without a core, constructed receiving and consists 'of a peculiarly shell having a plunger which together constitute a former for the button, and of suitable operating appliances, all as hereinafter set forth. Whip buttons which are manufactured out of woven fabric and generally provided with a paper lining, and other kinds of buttons which have no core, are strengtln ened, reinforced and rendered more durable by having their end portions turned inward against the adjacent side portions,

thus affording double thicknesses at these points and leaving the exposed edges rounded; much difficulty has been experienced heretofore in properly crimping and tucking the ends in this manner,

and the object of my invention is to overcome such difficulty by furnishing mechanism with which to do the work accurately, I attain this object by expeditioulsy and economically. the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying one form of my invention; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the larged detail partly ing members which parts being in section; Fig. in section of the crimping and tuckact directly on the button, showing 3, an ena button in its relative position to such members during one stage of the operation; Fig. 4, an enlarged endview of the former looking into the mouth thereof; Fig.

5, a similar view to Fig. the parts are changed to 3 except that the positions of illustrate another stage of the operation; Fig. 6, an enlarged face view of the device provided in this machine ing crimped and tucked, and, Fig

for holding a button while be 7, a plan view of a machine designed to crimp and tuck both 'ends of a button at once.

Similar figures refer to similar several views.

In the two machines which I parts throughout the show for doing the work in question, one of which I term the single crimper and tucker because it crimps and tucks but one end of a button at a time, and the other of which I term the double crimper and tucker both ends of a button at a because it crimps and tucks single operation, the members which do the actual work of crimping and tucking are the same in both and will be first described. These members comprise a longitudinally-bored receiving shell 10 for one end of a button 1].,

and a plunger 1.2 ar- I I l The ranged to reciprocate in said shell. shell 10 which receives the button made flaring so that the entrance of ES WHIP Patented July 30, 1907.

end of the preferably said button will be facilitated, and the bore 13 at this terminal of said shell is of the same diameter as that of the button side. The diameter of the bore from a shoulder 15, within the shell of the bore or chamber 13, end of said shell, is substantially the same as plunger 12 which operates therein.

to the out- 14 which extends 10 at the inner end to and through the opposite that of the The diameter of the plunger corresponds with the inside diameter of the tucked portion of the button; or, in other words, the

difference between the diameters of the bores 13 and 14 is equal to the thickness of said tucked p same being clearly shown in Fig. 5.

ortion, the

The shoulder 15 should curve or slant outward from the adjacent end of the bore 14 to the adjacent end of the bore of being abrupt, so that the end of 13, instead the button when forced against it will be readily and properly directed inward or crimped.

The former thus constructed is capable of tucking the ends of the button evenly and leaving them in a finished condition.

As many formers are provided for the machine as there are different sizes of buttons. The interior or minor d iameters of these different formers must vary to accommodate the different sizes of buttons, but the exterio diameters need not vary.

The plunger 12 is provided between its 0 diagonal pin 16 which extends through a r or major nds with a slot 17 in one or both sides of the shell JOaccordingly as said pin projects beyond one or both sides of said plunger.

The pin 16 prevents the plunger from ro limits the longitudinal movement of the son of its contact with the sides and ends The shell has an external tating and same by rea of the slot 17. shoulder 18 which comes against the inner face or end of one of the bearings for the shell, as will presently appear.

Passing now to the single crimper and tucker, as

illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, it will be observed that a frame is provided which consists essential 19 having four supports rising therefrom w ly of a bed ith a bearing 20 at the top of each, also a lug 21 between the two left-hand supports adjacent to the front 0 bed. A stand 22 is also hand rear corner of the bed 19. The shel dge of the provided adjacent to the right- 1 10 is fastoned in the two left-hand bearings 20, with its shoulder 18 against the inner end of bearings, by means of a bolt 23 tapped int side of the said second bearing. The front the second of these 0 the back side of the lug 21 is inclined upward from front to rear, and a lever 24 bears upon such side and is pivoted to said lug at 25. The upper terminal of the lever 24 is bifur cated and forked to pass both sides of the shell 10 and to engage both sides of both ends of the p operating arm 26 beneath the bed 19 has i in 16, An ts rear end position, by

tons of different lengths 1 cut pivoted at 27 to said bed and extends forward in front of the latter. A link 28 has one end pivoted at 29 to the base of the lever 24 below the pivot 25, and the other end pivoted at 30 to the arm 26. It will now be readily understood how the plunger 12 is reciprocated when the arm 26 is oscillated.

A reciprocating and oscillating carrier for the button 11 is supported by the two right-hand bearings 20 and the stand 22 and is described as follows: A rod 31 is arranged to reciprocate in said last-mentioned bearings, and said rod has a supporting upright 32, for an oscillating face-plate 33, fast on its inner end; an operating arm 34 for the rod is pivoted intermediate of its ends to the outer terminal of the rod at 35, the rod being slotted at 36 to receive said arm, and the back end of the arm is pivoted at 37 to a link 38, which latter in turn is pivoted at 39 to said stand. The arrangement is such that when the arm 34 is oscillated the rod 31 is reciprocated. provided to prevent the rod 31 from rotating, but in the present case the arm 34 and the link 38 are depended on for this purpose. The axis of the rod is in line with that of the former.

The face-plate 33 is pivoted at the upper end to the upright 32, as shown at 40, the pivotal connection being of such a nature that there is sufficient friction between the parts to hold said face-plate in whatever position it may be placed. Bolts 41 tapped into the front and rear edges of the upright 32 serve as stops to limit the movement of the face-plate as it is swung forward and backward into its two operative positions, and the amount of such movement can be decreased or increased in either or both directions by screwing either or both of said bolts in or out accordingly. Recesses 33 may be formed in the face-plate to better accommodate the latter to the bolts 41. On the side of the face-plate which is adjacent to the former, near the bottom, are two center pins 42 and 43 for the button, the first of these pins having a flange or shoulder 44 and the second a flange or shoulder 45 in advance of said shoulder 44. The distance between the vertical planes of the shoulders 44 and 45 is equal to the length of the tucked end portion 46 of the button 11', thus provision is made for tucking in the same amount at each end of the button, as will be explained in the course of the explanation of the complete operation of the machine. The face-plate and the pins are so arranged and such plate is so mounted that the axis of each pin is at all times either parallel with the axis of the rod 31 or coincident therewith, the latter condition obtaining when the pin 42 is located in its rear-most swinging the lace-plate back against the rear stop 41, and when the pin 43 is located in its foremost position, by swinging the face-plate forward against the front stop 41, assuming of course that said stops have been correctly set or adjusted.

In order to render the machine adjustable for buta screw-thread 47 on the rod 31 adjacent to the slotted terminal thereof, and provide an interiorly screw-threaded collar 48 to fit onto and engage such threaded part of the rod. This collar is only screw-threaded part way from one end, and a bolt 49 is tapped into the collar radially and penetrates the same at one side of the threaded portion, such bolt being adapted to bear against some uncut Any suitable means may be part of the rod to prevent the collar from turning. The left-hand end of the collar 48 encounters the adjacent end of the right-hand bearing 20, when the rod 31is actuated inward or toward the former, and so limits such movement on the part of the rod. The length of the inward stroke of the rod 31 can be increased by screwing the collar 48 outward, after loosening the bolt 49, and such length of stroke can be decreased by screwing said collar inward, said bolt being reset after each adjustment. The rod should be so adjusted that, at the end of the forward stroke of said rod, a button on the pin 42 will have been forced into the shell 10 to the extent shown in Fig. 3, that is, far enough to crimp the end of the button being operated on sufficiently for the tucking to be done at the next operation. In Fig. 3 the crimped portion is shown at 50.

The machine is operated as follows, assuming that a former corresponding to the size of button to be handled has been selected and fastened in position, and that the collar 48 has been so adjusted as to cause the inward stroke of the rod 31 to be proportioned to the length of said button: Swing the front end or handle of the arm 26 inward and the front end or handle of the arm 34 outward to retract the plunger 12 and the rod 31, if this has not already been done, place a button, as 11, on the pin 42 and swing the face-plate 33 as far back as it will go, and then draw the handle of the arm 34 inward to move the rod toward the former until the collar 48 contacts with the adjacent bearing 20 and stops further movement in this direction. The parts carried at the inner end of the rod 31 were moved with said rod, with the result that the end of the button opposite the shoulder 4.4 was thrust into the chamber 13 and encountered the shoulder 15 to be thereby turned inward or crimped at 50 during the advance of said rod and at the time itreached the end of its inward stroke. While this crimping takes place one end of the button abuts the shoulder 44 and the major part of the button is supported by the pin 42, but the rest of the button is left without support until it enters the chamber 13 when it is supported around the outside and prevented from being crushed, broken or distorted, by the walls of said chamber, and he end opposite that which bears against the shoulder 44 is contracted, crimped or turned inward partially filling the mouth of the bore 14 in front or ahead of the now retracted plunger 12. Now, while holding the rod members and the button 11 in the positions just described by means of the arm 34, move the handle of the arm 26 to the left and thus force the plunger 12 into the adjacent end of said button through the medium of the lever 24 and the pin 16. When the plunger'12 advances its head encounters the crimped part 50 of the button, carries such part inward and doubles it back against the inside of the button, as shown at 46 in Fig. 5, thus tucking the button at this end and finishing the same. The arm 26 may be moved far enough at this time to cause the head of the plunger 12 to strike the adjacent end'of the pin 42,

or a less amount of movement may be given the parts so long as said plunger advances to tuck in the end of the button. The handles of both arms 34 and 26 are next actuated to retract the rod 31 and the plunger 12, the button is removed from the pin 42, turned end for end and placed on the pin 43,

the face-plate 33 having been swung meanwhile into 130 a sufficient distance 43, after one end has been finished, is carried into its forward position, and said arms, one after the other, are again actuated to bring about the crimping and tucking of the opposite end of the button in precisely the same manner as before. This end of the button is tucked in to the same extent as the other owing to the fact that the shoulder 4.5 is in advance of the shoulder 44 so that such end before being crimped and tucked extends the same distance beyond the pin 43 as the other end did, before being crimped and tucked, be-

youd the pin 42, the free ends of both pins being in the same vertical plane; or, to state it differently, on the advance stroke of the rod 31 the button on the pin the shell 10 just as far as it was carried into said shell when on the pin 42 in the first place, no more and no less if the distance between the shoulders 44 and 45 is equal, as it should be, to the length of the part 46. Finally the sliding members are again retracted and the button, now with. both ends properly tucked, is taken off of the pin 43. Upon pushing back the face-plate 33 the machine is made ready for another button.

There will seldom be any need of changing the stops 41 after their correct positions have once been determined.

In the double crimper and tucker shown in the last View a second shell 51 is employed with a second plun ger 52, such second shell being mounted in the same way and operated by the same means as is the rod 31 in the single crimper and tucker. And the adjustment to the length of button is brought about as before by the collar 48 on the shell 51. A slot 53 is made in each side of the shell 51, for the second plunger pin 54, of sulficient length to permit of the increased stroke which it is necessary to give this shell in both directions. A second lug 55 is here provided for a second operating lever 56 which is for the plunger 52, also a second link 57, and

the plunger-operating arm 58 is lengthened to accommodate the two links 57 and 28. The frame, the stand, the left-hand former, and other members of the machine are the same as corresponding parts in the firstlnachine, and the interior construction of the shell 51 is like that of the shell .10.

To crimp and tuck a button with the machine last described, place said button on the protruding terminal of the plunger 52, when the parts are disposed as shown in Fig. 7, and first draw the front end or handle of the arm 34 to the left to advance the shell 51; this results in carrying the end of the button which is next to the shell 10 into the same and in the passing of the mouth of the shell 51 beyond the plunger 52 and over the opposite end of the button. The button is now held by the two shells and both ends are crimped at the end of the forward stroke of the shell 51. Next draw the front end or handle of the arm 58 to the left to advance both plungers, which results in simultaneously tucking both ends of the button. Finally retract the sliding parts to release the now finished button. It will thus be seen that, during the crimping and tucking operations, the formers manipulate both ends of the button at the same time, and that such operations at either end are just like corresponding operations in the single crimper and tucker.

To change the formers for buttons having different diameters, loosen the bolt 23, drive out the pin 16 and remove the old former from the two lefthand bearings 20,

l l l l l I Opening l l l l then insert the new former in such bearings, introduce said pin into place and again tighten said bolt; and in the double crimper and tucker also drive out the pins 35 and 54 and remove the second former from the two right-hand bearings 20, then insert the new former in such bearings and introduce said pins into their places.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A former, fur a crimper and tucker, comprising a shell having a button-receiving bore at one terminal and a plungcr-recciving here at the other terminal with an outwardly inclined shoulder at the junction of such bores. and a plunger in said shell arranged to slide in said plunger-receiving bore and to enter the buttona'eceiving bore from its inner or shouldered end.

2. A former, for a'crimper and tucker, comprising a shell having a chamber at one end of substantially the same diameter as the major diameter of the article acted on, and having a bore of substantially the same diameter as the minor diameter of such article, the bore and chamber into each other, and a plunger in said shell arranged to slide in said bore and to enter said chamber from its inner end.

3. A former, for a crimper and tucker, comprising a shell having a chamber at one end of substantially the same diameter at the major diameter of the article acted on, and having a bore of substantially the same diameter as the minor diameter of such article, with an outwardly inclined shoulder at the junction of the bore with the chamber, and a sliding plunger-in said bore arranged and adapted to be projected into and retracted from said chamber only at its inner end.

4. The combination, in a crimper and tucker, with a former comprising a shell bored to receive the article acted on and bored for a plunger, and a plunger located in the bore for the same in said shell, of means to reciprocate said plunger into and out of the inner end only of the bore for the article, and means to support, center and force such article into said bore for the same, such means consisting in part of a pin adapted to enter said last-mentioned here with the article.

5. The combination, in a crimper and tucker, with a shell bored to receive the article acted on and bored for a plunger, a plunger in said shell, and means to reciprocate said plunger, of supporting members for such article arranged and adapted to be brought into line one at a time with the axis of the shell and plunger.

(l. The combination, in a crimper and tucker, with a shell bored to receive the articleacted on and bored for a plunger, a plunger in said shell, and means to reciprocate said plunger, of supporting members for such article arranged and adapted to be brought into line one at a time with the axis of the shell and plunger, each of such supporting members being provided with a shoulder which constitutes an abutment for the contiguous end of the thing supported, and one of said shoulders being in advance of the other.

7. The combination, in a crimper and tucker, with a shell bored to receive the article acted on and bored for a plunger, a plunger in said shell, and means to reciprocate said plunger, of supporting members for such article arranged and adapted to be brought into line one at a time with the axis of the shell and plunger, and means to advance said article when supported on either of such members and thrust it into the mouth of the shell.

8. The combination, in a crimper and tucker, with a suitable former, of a rod carrying an oscillating member at the end adjacent to such former, supporting members for the article acted 011 forming parts of said oscillating member, and means to reciprocate said rod.

9. The combination, in a crimper and tucker, with a suitable former, of a rod carrying an oscillating supporting device, for the article acted on, at the end adjacent to such former, means to reciprocate said rod, and means to adjust the advance stroke of the rod.

10. The combination, in a crimper and tucker, with a suitable former, of a reciprocating rod, an upright rigidly attached to the end of such rod which is adjacent to such former, a face-plate pivotaily connected with such upright and arranged to swing in the plane at right-angles to the axis of said former, centering pins for the article acted on carried by said face-plate and provided with abutting shoulders for the ends of such article, one of such shoulders being in advance of the other, and means to so limit the movement of the face-plate as to bring said pins one at a time into line with such axis.

11. The'combination, in a crimper and tucker, with a suitable former of a reciprocating rod, an upright rigidly attached to the end of such rod which is adjacent to such former, a face-plate pivotally connected with such upright and provided with two centering pins for the article acted on, such face plate being arranged to swing in a plane at right-angles to the axis of said former, and means to so limit the swinging movement of said face-plate in both directions as to cause the axis 01 one ofthe pins to coincide with the axis of the former when the face-plate is at one end of the arc of its travel and to cause the axis of the other pin to coincide with the axis of the former when the face-plate is at the other end of such arc.

12. The combination, in a crimper and tucker, with a suitable former, of a reciprocating rod carrying at its inner end supporting and centering means for the article acted on, an abutting member, and a collar adjustably mounted on said rod and adapted to strike such abutting member when the rod is advanced and so limit such advance.

DAVID C. HULL.

Witnesses:

Gnonon E. WHIPPLE, F. A. CUTTER. 

